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So, hear me out: the most delicious egg dishes never require an oven. Through culinary experiments, realizing that using a cover creates a steamy environment for cooking the egg tops, resulting in perfectly cooked delicately prepared egg with firm whites plus liquid yolk. The harsh, arid temperature of the oven is much more aggressive versus moist heat, and has a tendency to dehydrate ingredients and harden the yolk. Presenting two flavorful bases to get started, encouraging customization. One is a super-simple turmeric coconut curry, whereas the spicy sausage sauce is a riff on traditional spicy eggs, essentially, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.

Golden Coconut Sauce Baked Eggs (shown above)

Prep A quick 10 minutes
Cooking time 55 min
Serves 2

Extra virgin oil
1 onion, trimmed and minced
Salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
10g fresh ginger, minced ginger
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves
Coconut milk
400g tin chickpeas
A few basil leaves, with more for garnish
Four eggs
2 green finger chillies, julienned, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot over medium-high flame. Add a shot of olive oil, toss in the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for five to six minutes. Incorporate aromatics and spices, leave to sizzle, occasionally stirring briefly, pour in creamy liquid along with chickpeas and liquid. Let it bubble, reduce to a simmer, and leave it to tick over for 30-35 minutes, when sauce is rich and yellow. Adjust seasoning, incorporate basil.

Employ a utensil to create four little pockets across the base, then crack an egg into each. Season eggs lightly salted, place a lid on the pan, simmer over low heat for two to three minutes, until egg whites firm and the yolks just warm. Remove from heat, top with fresh herbs and sliced chilies, ready to enjoy.

Spicy Sausage Sauce and Pickled Peppers Steamed Eggs

Prep 10 minutes
Cook Under an hour
Serves Two portions

Olive oil
Spicy lamb sausages
Spicy paste
Cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced garlic
Canned tomatoes
Salt
Fresh eggs
Tangy peppers, roughly chopped
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Creamy yogurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, as garnish

Set a 25cm heavy cast-iron pot on a medium heat. Drizzle olive oil once hot, peel sausages and break off pieces into the skillet, like mini balls. Turn down the heat, brown the meat slowly, so it renders out all that spicy, flavour-packed fat. Stir merguez as they cook, for even browning.

When golden, mix in spices and garlic into the skillet, increase to medium heat fry with mixing, briefly, when fragrant, and garlic softens. Add tomatoes, add seasoning and bring to a simmer. Lower to gentle simmer cooking gently about 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken, become richer and darker, as oils separate.

With a spoon making indentations in the sauce, break eggs in. Dust with salt with a little salt, cover skillet. Cook for two to three minutes over a low heat, until the whites are set and yolks warmed.

Take off the heat, garnish with peppers, parsley and yogurt, and oil splash, accompanied by lemon.